ZeroAvia test-flies largest plane yet powered by hydrogen-electric engine
CategoriesSustainable News

ZeroAvia test-flies largest plane yet powered by hydrogen-electric engine

ZeroAvia has flown what the aviation company claims is the largest aircraft yet to be run on a zero-emissions hydrogen-electric engine, testing a 19-seater plane over the skies of England.

The company flew a modified 19-seat Dornier 228 twin-engine aircraft with one prototype hydrogen-electric engine retrofitted on its left wing and a regular gas turbine engine, a Honeywell TPE-331, on its right wing.

The test flight saw the plane take off, fly and land at ZeroAvia‘s R&D facility at Cotswold Airport in Gloucestershire on 19 January.

Photo of the front of a turboprop plane with ZeroAvia branding on the side sitting on tarmac
ZeroAvia has test-flown a plane retrofitted with a hydrogen-electric engine

According to ZeroAvia, the flight shows the British-American company is on track to run its first hydrogen-powered commercial flight by 2025, with the aim of eventually scaling up the technology to larger planes.

“This is a major moment, not just for ZeroAvia but for the aviation industry as a whole, as it shows that true zero-emission commercial flight is only a few years away,” said ZeroAvia founder and CEO Val Miftakhov. “Our approach is the best solution to accelerate clean aviation at scale.”

ZeroAvia uses hydrogen fuel cells, one of two major hydrogen-based technologies being explored for flight along with the hydrogen combustion engine.

Photo of a white and blue painted turboprop plane with ZeroAvia branding on the side taking off from a runway
The plane took off and landed at ZeroAvia’s base in south-west England

In fuel cells, hydrogen is used to produce electricity and that electricity powers the propeller, instead of the hydrogen being burnt like in a combustion engine. The process generates no emissions besides water vapour.

ZeroAvia deployed its prototype engine in a testing configuration that featured two fuel cell stacks along with lithium-ion battery packs to provide extra support for takeoff and backup power.

The fuel cells and hydrogen tanks were housed inside the cabin of the plane, where the seats would usually be. But eventually, they will need to be stored externally.

The company conducted the flight test under what it describes as the “stringent” requirements for a Part 21 aircraft flight permit with the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority, which the company says signals its readiness for commercial certification.

ZeroAvia says that under these conditions, the test flight places the company on the direct path to a certifiable configuration to be finalised and submitted for approval in 2023.

ZeroAvia is one of the current leaders in the race to develop hydrogen engines to decarbonise plane travel. The prototype tested was developed as part of the company’s HyFlyer II project, which is supported by the UK government’s Aerospace Technology Institute and targets the development of a 600-kilowatt powertrain.

Photo of two men hugging next to a small aircraft
Pilot Jon Killerby and ZeroAvia Europe head Sergey Kiselev led the test flight

Simultaneously, the company is also developing a two-to-five megawatt powertrain that scales the technology for aircraft with up to 90 seats.

Hydrogen engine technology is evolving rapidly, with many airlines and aerospace companies engaged in development and testing.

Recently, EasyJet and engineering company Rolls-Royce conducted a ground test of a modified commercial aircraft engine run on hydrogen combustion, while Airbus has previously revealed three concept designs for hydrogen-powered aircraft.

A challenge for the technology is the size of the hydrogen tanks required, which has made critics doubt that it can ever be used for jet planes or long journeys.

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Rolls-Royce and EasyJet test hydrogen-powered aircraft engine
CategoriesSustainable News

Rolls-Royce and EasyJet test hydrogen-powered aircraft engine

British airline EasyJet and engineering company Rolls-Royce have run a commercial aircraft engine on hydrogen in what they claim is a “world first”, potentially paving the way for the decarbonisation of plane travel.

The companies trialled the engine in a ground test at the UK Defence Ministry’s Boscombe Down aircraft testing site using renewably-made green hydrogen and a converted Rolls-Royce AE 2100 – a regional aircraft engine.

The engine is considered an early concept demonstrator, so the technology is still in its infancy. But both Rolls-Royce and EasyJet say they are committed to proving that hydrogen can be a safe and efficient zero-carbon fuel for civil aviation.

Photo of a man in hi-vis shining a light into the parts of a large aircraft engine
Rolls-Royce has converted one of its aircraft engines to run on hydrogen

“The success of this hydrogen test is an exciting milestone,” said Rolls-Royce chief technology officer Grazia Vittadini.

“We are committed to continuing to support this ground-breaking research because hydrogen offers great possibilities for a range of aircraft,” added EasyJet CEO Johan Lundgren. “That will be a huge step forward in meeting the challenge of net zero by 2050.”

The test, which the companies claim was a “world first”, used green hydrogen supplied by the European Marine Energy Centre and created with the help of wind and tidal power in Scotland’s Orkney Islands.

This renewable electricity was used to power an electrolyser, which separates hydrogen from water in a process called electrolysis.

Photo of a woman in hi-vis adjusting parts on a large aircraft engine
It was produced in partnership with EasyJet

To maximise the amount of hydrogen that fits into a tank, the gas is compressed to a pressure of 200 bar – equivalent to around 200 times the atmospheric pressure on Earth.

Rolls-Royce’s AE 2100-A engine was converted to combust this hydrogen instead of conventional fossil fuel-derived kerosene.

Rolls-Royce and EasyJet now plan to analyse the test data to improve their understanding of how to handle and operate hydrogen as an aviation fuel.

The partners are also planning future tests, starting with further ground tests before they move on to carrying out test flights.

They also plan to bring in a jet engine, the Rolls-Royce Pearl 15. This is more powerful than the AE 2100-A, which is generally used for smaller turboprop planes.

As signatories of the United Nations’ Race to Zero campaign, both Rolls-Royce and EasyJet are committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 in an effort to keep global warming below the crucial threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Photo of men standing behind a large engine on a testing site
The engine was tested at a military facility in the UK

Coming up with an alternative aviation fuel is a huge challenge for airlines, which currently contribute about 2.5 per cent of global CO2 emissions.

Green hydrogen is seen as a possible solution because it is made using renewable resources – green energy and water – and theoretically could see planes emit only water when used as a fuel.

There are several potential ways to use hydrogen in an engine, including as a liquid rather than a gas and as a fuel cell rather than through combustion.

However, critics have doubts whether jet planes will ever have the capacity to carry as much hydrogen as is needed to make their long journeys, and it is likely that aircraft would need to be quite heavily redesigned.

Several small hydrogen-powered aircraft have already flown, including those from aircraft developer ZeroAvia. Among the large airlines, Airbus is also pursuing the use of hydrogen, and in 2020 revealed three concepts for future aircraft powered by liquid hydrogen.

Rolls-Royce Holdings is the world’s second-largest maker of aircraft engines after General Motors and revealed its net-zero strategy in 2021. The company is separate to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, which is wholly owned by the BMW Group.

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An engine turns waste heat into clean electricity
CategoriesSustainable News

An engine turns waste heat into clean electricity

Spotted: Various studies have estimated that around 20 to 50 per cent of industrial energy consumption is discharged as waste heat – and up to 30 per cent of this could be harnessed and utilised. Looking to make use of the heat emitted by traditional engines, Israel-based startup Luminescent has built a system that produces zero-emission electricity. 

A small, isothermal engine upcycles waste heat and is designed to fit alongside conventional large engines and generators in order to send electricity back to the grid. If needed, the Luminescent device stores between 8 and 20 hours of renewable energy.  

The new device uses a heat transfer liquid to gather and move the heat emitted from another engine into the upcycling system. The liquid is then mixed with either air or gas and put under pressure, which causes the material to expand – this expansion converts the liquid into kinetic energy that powers a generator. The generator can then run other devices and systems, store power, or send electricity back to the grid. 

Currently working at around 70 per cent efficiency, the system could become available commercially in the next two to three years. Luminescent plans to use the $7 million (around €6.5 million) it raised recently in a round of seed funding to bring the engine to market.  

From the excess heat of public transport systems heating homes to car parks heating the buildings above, Springwise has spotted many ways innovators are making use of previously wasted emissions and resources.

Written By Keely Khoury

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